Before Luis Perez ever threw a touchdown, he threw strikes — at the bowling alley.

The Arlington Renegades quarterback didn’t grow up dreaming of NFL glory. In fact, he didn’t even play high school football until his senior year. Perez was a standout bowler in Chula Vista, California, good enough to average over 200 and aspire to go pro. But something changed at 17. Watching football clips online, he got hooked on the strategy, the drama, the grind — and decided, almost on a whim, to walk on as a QB at Southwestern College. That single decision would change everything.

He had zero film. Zero recruiting buzz. And zero expectations.

What Perez did have was obsession-level commitment. He devoured playbooks, studied mechanics on YouTube, and spent hours learning to read defenses. That hustle paid off. He transferred to Texas A&M–Commerce and led the Lions to a Division II national title in 2017, winning the Harlon Hill Trophy (D-II’s Heisman) in the process. In two seasons, he threw for over 8,300 yards and 78 touchdowns. A kid who wasn’t supposed to be here had just become one of college football’s most efficient passers.

Still, the NFL didn’t come calling in full force. Perez bounced around training camps and practice squads — Rams, Eagles, Lions — while building his reputation as a cerebral, accurate passer. But his real breakthrough came in the alt-football world.

He became the face of spring football consistency. From the AAF to the XFL to the USFL and now the UFL, Perez has been the ironman QB — stepping into chaos and bringing stability. Whether it was leading the New Jersey Generals to a 9-1 record in the USFL or rescuing Arlington’s 2023 season en route to a UFL Championship, Perez has proven he’s not just a fill-in — he’s a winner.

The Renegades were dead in the water at 4-6 last season before Perez arrived via trade. Then he torched Houston in the playoffs and stunned the previously unbeaten D.C. Defenders in the title game, earning Championship MVP honors with 288 yards and 3 TDs.

Now entering 2024 as Arlington’s unquestioned starter, Perez isn’t just a journeyman anymore — he’s a certified field general with a ring to prove it. His story reads like a movie script: no hype, no shortcuts, just a relentless climb from the bowling lanes to the top of the spring football world.

In a league built on second chances and redemption arcs, Luis Perez is the blueprint.